west kgn enquiry behind schedule

Secretary to the West Kingston Commission of Enquiry Maria Jones has conceded that the hearing is running well behind schedule.

The admission came after yesterday's sitting of the three-member panel was adjourned early without any public hearings.

However, with retired army chief, Major General Stewart Saunders among several Jamaica Defence Force and Jamaica Constabulary Force personnel still to give evidence, Jones could not say what measures will be put in place to help the commission catch up.

"That is for the commissioners and the attorneys to meet and decide on. I couldn't singularly and unilaterally say how we gonna catch up, but we realise that there is some catching-up to do," Jones explained.

Yesterday's adjournment came after commissioners Sir David Simmons, Hazel Harris and Professor Anthony Harriott met with attorneys participating in the enquiry to discuss the public-interest immunity being claimed for a "large number of documents" featured in the enquiry.

"Significant and extensive legal arguments were presented in relation to those documents. Based on where we are at this point in time, the commissioners need time to assess the arguments and be in a position to not just assess the documents but the arguments in a very detailed way," Jones explained.

As a result, she said, the commissioners would meet today to make those determinations. The public hearing is scheduled to resume tomorrow with the continued cross-examination of retired Police Commissioner Owen Ellington.